Quail questions

[rek9]

Hello all,

I have been wanting to do Coturnix quail for sometime now and am thinking about starting this spring/summer. I am wanting the quail for egg production and would want maybe 5-10 hens. I recently had a breeder not far from where I live agree to hatch some for me for 75 cents per bird for jumbo quail. I thought this was a great option due to not really wanting to hatch my own because I no have experience in this and not wanting to buy an incubator. Then two days later the breeder stated his demand for wholesale eggs just went up and wouldn’t be able to hatch any for me at this time but would contact me in the future if/when he might hatch again. So now without any option for young birds I am back to contemplating hatching my own. I have heard all positive reviews about JMF and Kansas City Quail and thought about purchasing some eggs from a good reputable source such as this. How many eggs do you think I should purchase to come out with number of birds I am shooting for? Also incubator suggestions would be greatly appreciated. Thanks in advance. (FYI I have 8 chickens that we raised from chicks last year and are doing great so I have some bird experience but none with quail)

 

[Fishkeeper]

Shipped eggs have about a 50% hatch rate. Plus, half or more of those would be males, and I'd count on some losses due to not having tried quail eggs before.
I'd say 50 eggs. 40% hatch, you get 20 birds. That should hopefully ensure at least 5 ladies, though it is theoretically possible for them to all be males.
If you set them up in a nice big enclosure, you'll have plenty of wiggle room for how many hens you end up with. I know you'll read a lot about the wire bottom cages, but they're really a lot happier if you keep them in a more natural environment. And, bonus- they feel safe enough to start using specific nest areas instead of just laying an egg wherever they are.

 

[rek9]

Ok thanks for your fast response. I have heard keeping the quail in a enclose on the ground can lead to more disease. Is that true?

 

[rek9]

Also, the only spot I have to build a ground enclosure is back by a wood line area. Would that be too shaded for the birds? Otherwise I could build a hutch style enclose with a combination wire floor with some solid floor and sand areas that would be attached to a wood shed.

 

[Timothy Menezes]

Ok thanks for your fast response. I have heard keeping the quail in a enclose on the ground can lead to more disease. Is that true?

Yes, but since I am no expert on this why don't you check out this thread...

https://www.backyardchickens.com/threads/does-anyone-raise-quail-on-the-ground.1270507/

 

[Fishkeeper]

It does put them at more risk for disease, but it makes them hardier, and they'll be much happier. And no, shade won't hurt them.

 

[007Sean]

Game birds raised on the ground don't contract anymore disease than birds raised on wire! That's a myth....if you don't have good biosecurity and sanitary conditions in either scenario, you will have diseases. Most gamebirds will do better if they have a habitat that is more representative of their natural habitat.

Gamebirds shouldn't be raise around or with chickens. Chickens can be carriers of diseases that they can tolerate but will kill gamebirds. You will hear/read about some people that do raise gamebirds with or around their chickens without problems....IMHO, it's just a matter of time before they will have problems.

When raising birds in ground pens, look for an area that has good drainage, gamebirds do not do well in wet, muddy conditions. The 'shaded area' you referred to would be great if it has good drainage.
Everything in the world loves quail. Building a predator- proof as possible enclosure is imperative.
A sheltered area should be provide to let the birds escape extreme weather conditions, rain, snow, extreme cold, heat and high winds.
These are a few things to keep in mind when raising gamebirds. HTH

 

[rek9]

Great info thanks! I would definitely not house the quail with chickens for multiple reasons. Do you guys have any recommendations on incubators? I hate to go this route because I feel like I might only use it once for now but feel like I have no other option at this point.

 

[Sky5678]

I agree with the "raising quail on the ground" thing that many people suggested. If you're concerned about waste building up, look into doing a deep litter system. Also, if you don't have access to land to keep the quails on, you can make an elevated enclosure (what I'm planning to do) and have dirt at the bottom.

It's best if you can find a local source for quail chicks, as they don't do too well when transported. But if you can't and must go with hatching eggs, you could make your own incubator from a box, however the hatch rate is pretty low with them. You can look around for cheaper or used incubator models, or even a friend who has an incubator. (If you have a broody bantam, that could potentially work, but larger chickens might crush the babies.)

Best of luck to you on your quail journey! I'm raising quail for the first time too.

 

[rek9]

I just came across a breeder in my state that sells chicks, juveniles and breeding sets. They are a little farther away than I would like but seems to be only local option. They sell Italian, Manchurian, Tibetan, silver and tuxedo. I was originally only wanting to get the common or wild type due to being able to easily feather sex them. Are any of these color variations easy to visually sex? Maybe Italians?